Star Wars Episode III: Behind the Scenes Webcam

securitas writes "Soon Star Wars behind-the-scenes webcam goes live when shooting for Episode III begins in Australia. 'The webcam will be moved every day, shooting live for 12 hours and then replaying in a loop while the cast is sleeping.' Of course it's only free until next week when you will have to join StarWars.com's newly relaunched site to view the cam as part of a package of services that includes online chats, outtakes and deleted scenes." I'm not sure if it's worth $20, but it's worth something....

Comments

Could you figure out the plot?

[192939495969798999]

It could be worth a lot for the webcam if some really dedicated viewer is able to piece together the plot, or other spoiling elements. Although you could just wait for the DVD, which will probably have all the thousands of hours of webcam footage included.

Re:Could you figure out the plot?

[Eric Ass Raymond]

That's unlikely since even the actors had hard time understanding the plot in Eps. I and II. Why? Because of the excessive use of blue/green/whatever screens during filming.

Good Riddance

[AttillaTheNun]

As a fan since I saw A New Hope at the drive-in as a 6yr old, I have to say I'm disappointed at how George finds new lows in which to sink. Instead of embracing his incredibly huge and devoted fanbase, he has decided to milk it for all he can (once again). The Wachowski Bros. and Peter Jackson have left this sorry franchise in the dust anyhow (I haven't gone back to the special features disc from AOTC since I watched the 4-disc LOTR set and witnessed a cast and crew that was incredibly devoted to telling a compelling story first and using all the effects at their disposal to bring it to life). AOTC was a lame, convoluted story with wooden acting and nothing but effects that will simply not last the test of time. The original trilogy, even with it's relativley immature effects and puppets still outlasts the prequels, which will be mostly forgotten except for the most desparate fans (who will likely be paying for this site for years to come in hopes of yet another useless tidbit on how 99.9999% of the movie was digital.

Re: Hmmmm...

[Black Parrot]

> Pay to watch them shooting a movie I probably won't bother bringing myself to pay to see? Not bloody likely.

It would be nice to have a poll to find out how many /.ers actually skipped AotC.

I wonder if

[Anonymous Coward]

It will suck more than Matrix:Reloaded or not.

Sin(g)s of the time ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Is Lucas a representative of the times we live in ?
Well, the Star Wars trilogie - toghether with "The Godfather" - was one of the masterieces of the 20th century. Like Romeo & Juliet or Beethoven's ninth symphony in centuries before.

Now, starting with phantom menace, all we get is teletubbies on special effects.

So I wonder, wether he is just a mirror of the society we live in that has no style or any sense for subtleness anymore.
He killed his own legend for a few dollars more(tm). Isn't that our ideal, too, make money for any price ?

I Love The Haters

[blinder]

First off, anyone who pays attention (and I do NOT expect that here on /.) knows that I am NOT a "fanboy" as I was around when EP IV was released (the first time).

But I must say, whenever there is a story on /. about SW, all of the George Lucas haters just crawl out of the woodwork to expose the depths of their naked jelousy and dreadful envy in the most disgusting and pathetic manner: by hauling personal attacks on George Lucas.

Its truly pathetic. You are truly pathetic. George Lucas, in my estimation, is a genious. He has managed to pull bits and pieces of mythology and form it into a cohesive and compelling universe that has enchanted millions for nearly 30 years! Lets see any of you do that, you little twerps.

I loved EP I, can't get enough of EP II (I probably watch the DVD once or twice a month, including the bonus footage, I can't get enough of Ben Burt's documentary) and I am eagerly waiting for EP III, and I will, with a big huge smile on my face, happily pay for the new SW site. Why many of you cry? Because there is real value for me, because I can see the joy, creativity and genious behind this franchise, instead of just being consumed by jelousy and envy.

If you *hate* George Lucas so much, why do you spend so much time expressing that hatred? I was tempted to just let this topic go, follow my own advice and ignore the comments in this topic, but when I see some people calling GL names and conducting personal attacks... it sickened me. You people make me sick.

I understand *legitimate* criticism of work, especially in creative works, and I have some of my own regarding Star Wars, but what I have been reading here reads more like hate and not thoughtful criticism.

Re:I Love The Haters

[greenhide]

I'd also point out that true fans were hugely mistreated when the "Special Edition" versions of the original episodes came out.

They kept on saying, "You've seen these movies on a dinky TV for years! Now you get to see it full screen, as it was intended!"

And yeah, most of each movie were great. But then Lucas had to stick his big greasy fingers into our childhood memories. Most of these movies we knew by heart. And although the special editions weren't profoundly different, they *were* different in many ways. It might be as simple as removing the cute scene on Dagobah where R2 barfs out a slew of water and fish, or as extreme as turning the Xarlac into something out of Little Shop of Horrors. And yeah, some people complain about Greedo shooting first, but come on! That didn't really have any effect on the overall movie, oh -- except for the fact that now Han loses his whole outlaw persona.

The point is, it's clear that the one thing that saved Star Wars (and yes, it was Star Wars when it started out, not New Hope) was the simplicity and limitations on Lucas' special effects. Sometimes a tight budget makes a movie better -- just look at the Godfather, which barely was made, and where Coppola nearly was fired.

Green screen

[Junior J. Junior III]

Since 99% of the new Star Wars movies are digital animation anyway, won't the cam just show you a few actors in costumes standing in front of a green screen? Seems kinda pointless...

Re:Spend Your Money You Will, Yes.

[greenhide]

Shouldn't that be "Path to the dark side, greed is"

No.

Yoda didn't invert *all* of his sentences, which is something the script writers in I and II should have noticed. The lines in those episodes sound as if someone wrote a bunch of bland sentences and inverted them. His lines in Empire and Return of the Jedi, OTOH, reflected genuinely the concept of a character who is approaching English (or whatever their "common tongue" really is -- linguistics is rarely addressed in the Star Wars saga) as a second language.

This is pretty much the only Yoda quote in the movies that sounds authentic, probably because it was not artificial constructed:

"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to blah blah blah [Yeah, I could look up the exact quote, but bored am I]"

So the original quote is correct. Compare it to this monster (in Episode II):
"Threatened the very Republic is, if involved the Sith are."

No no no no no no no! Horrible, horrible! If I were Lucas at this point, this is what would have happened:

Screenwriter: Ah! My Lord Lucas! I have written the Yoda dialogue and I feel that -- gurk gurk gurk --

Lucas: You have failed me for the last time.

And then...

Lucas: Ah! My dear Star Wars fan! I am near complete in issuing the original episode on DVD, special edition of course, and very soon -- ack ack ack

Fan: You have failed us for the last time, Lucas. Director Smith!

Kevin: Yes my lord.

Fan: Make ready to release all three initial episodes on DVD. In their original format. Greedo must not shoot first.

Kevin: Thank you, Star Wars fan.

Re:The Matrix, our new Sci-Fi trilogy?

[Obiwan Kenobi]

Well, I'll bite. You're argument has so many holes you might as well have titled it "Swiss Cheese".

Star wars was a hit because nobody ever saw anything like it before.. it was the first, fresh, and brought them in because of that.

Matrix... DITTO! the same thing. people are getting tired of the same crap over and over and over and over.. now comes the Matrix.. it's "fresh" and has a plot that is innovative.

Yes, but while Star Wars had a Space Opera effect going on (and those 1970's effects were unbelievably innovative, I'll certainly grant you), the prequels tried to go rewrite its own history to make itself seem more cohesive than it was. Midoclorians(sp?) anyone?

I think that George had the grand idea of nine movies but didn't have the actual plot/details of all nine in his head. And while he was busy working out a new story for these prequels he realized that he couldn't do it without some old characters coming back in strange ways (Anakin built C3PO? WTF?) just to tie it together.

Watch Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress." It's the EXACT SAME STORY as Star Wars, only in feudal Japan. Lucas has admitted as such (though the reference escapes me).

The Matrix, on the other hand, is built upon many different philosophies. The main one, of course, if the Living Inside A Machine philosphy, which has been around ever since man created machines. Back in the 15 and 1600's, men deduced that we might be living inside a Clock, or a clock-like machine. Nowadays technology has advanced to the point where we think we live in a computer. It's the same concept, and it's just as intriguing.

They worked in a romance angle just as Star Wars did. Of course, Star Wars didn't have the high-mindedness that The Matrix accomplishes, and the Uber Sweet Effects, but both turn their emotional screws when necessary in order to get their point across.

Note I'm talking about the original SW trilogy, not the bastardized prequels.

in 20 years when they make 3 prequels to the matrix you will feel as poorly about it as you do about starwars now.

Except The Matrix didn't begin with "Episode IV: The Matrix"

Re:Matrix needs a backstory sequence

[iainl]

If you want to know the backstory, its available either online or on DVD (released today, coincidentally enough) - a series of cartoons called "The Animatrix" (see what they did there? ;))

Personally, I don't think we need to re-tread The Terminator and explain that its all the fault of those nasty evil scientists again (remember folks, if its Natural, it must be good for you. Even potassium cyanide). One of the things I really liked about both The Matrix and the original Star Wars is the sense that there is a whole world, with ecosystems, history etc. out there, without a stack of flashbacks and prequels to lead us by the hand and show us every last corner.

As for your last paragraph, I don't know how much I should say in case I spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but if you didn't understand what was going on in that scene, its of little wonder that you felt the philosophical part of the film to be a problem. Basically, the guy is explaining that, as the Merovingian warned him, his free will and escaping from the Matrix was to some extent illusory - we like to think we are making our own choices, but all too often those in power have manipulated the situation so that our actions are predictable. The TV screens were either showing the actions of the previous "one"s when faced with the dilemma at hand, or at least The Matrix's simulations of what he is expected to do (its not especially relevant which, since another part of the plot is that he is expected to act just as his predecessors did). There is a hint that even Neo's decision to rebel, to risk everyone's lives in order to save Trinity, may be part of the Architect's plan, or even part of a plan by the Oracle (who laid some important Cupid groundwork in the first film to encourage him to love Trinity in particular) to make things happen differently this time, and that is why she is now on the run from the agents, despite being the Matrix's "Mother".

"You hear that, Mr. Anderson? That is the sound of ineviatability". The groundwork laid in the original is pretty impressive once you go digging.

Re:but they're wild!!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

actually that post wasn't me, I was rather pissed when I saw someone stole my idea. 30 minutes after I orginally posted it too.

Bleh.

Mike

Re:Hmmm..

[Angry Toad]

Too right. It's all about the story. Wish I had some mod points left, I'd give them to you.

Re:Spend Your Money You Will, Yes.

[greenhide]

I'm guessing he didn't start speaking "English" until he was in his early hundreds. If you don't learn a language early on, even if you're smart your brain doesn't process it in the same way you would if you were born into the language. At his advanced age, it wouldn't be surprising that he never picked up the language. Besides, I think it's supposed to reflect the way he thinks -- look at Karate Kid for a similar form of speaking from Mr. Miyagi.

Interdependence of Man and Machine

[Phoenix666]

I got another angle from Reloaded that I haven't seen discussed here yet: the interdependence of man and machine and Neo & Smith as mirrors of each other. You have the scene with the Council member in the engineering level in Zion where he muses about who's really in control, man or machine? You have the Oracle and the Architect talking about how they and other special programs are there to keep the Matrix running by keeping human minds in line and accepting of the Matrix.

Then there's Neo who's seeking liberation by entering the realm of the machine in the Matrix, and Smith who's seeking liberation by entering the realm of Man in Zion. Smith is the anti-Neo. They both want the same thing, but from the other side. Maybe the combination of their efforts will break the myth of inevitability?

Neo's love for Trinity being the key to breaking inevitability is a little too cliched for it to be the only message. And the repetition of Neo and the Matrices with his evolving responses points to a refinement of what liberation really is. Given that the Wachowski brothers were heavily influenced by EST ideas (EST being a quasi-Scientology cult), that's the direction I'd say they're headed in.